The present invention relates generally to secure point-of-sale activated cards, and more particularly, to packaging technology designed to deter theft and unaccountable activation of activatable point of sale cards.
The purchase, sale, and use of cards such as debit cards, gift cards, credit cards, telephone cards and the like has dramatically increased to the point where the cards are well known and their uses are widely recognized. At times, cards are printed and issued with a predetermined balance and typically sold as a retail item. However, a typical card is often stored or displayed in an inactivated state to reduce the risk of theft. This essentially renders the card valueless until it is activated by a retailer or another party upon purchase by the end user. Despite these security features, point of sale cards are still stolen, often by removing the card from its packaging. At other times, the theft can be more surreptitious. For example, the would-be thief may only remove a card from its packaging long enough to obtain identifying card data such as an account number or a PIN number, after which the card is returned to its packaging. In some instances, this information may be accessible without removing the card from the packaging. The thief can then wait until the card is activated and at that time gain unauthorized access to any value associated with the card.
In addition to cards, suppliers and/or retailers often desire to include additional material or information within the card packaging. For example, a card supplier will often include a set of terms and conditions of use or instructions for using the card on a separate sheet of paper. Although these inserts can be bulky, such as when multiple sheets or folded sheets of material must be included, it is desirable to include them inside the package with the card to prevent their loss and maintain a clean package appearance.
Packaging with enhanced security that is capable of indicating unauthorized access to a packaged card reduces shrinkage due to theft of card value. As cards become more widely used internationally, new challenges arise that call for new solutions.